95. Night attack
There were still a couple of hours left until sunrise when they reached the hill where the midscuots had chosen to set up camp.
As soon as the sun went down, the cavalry unit moved out. Just to make sure, they put a cloth muffler on the horses' hooves to dampen the sound. The best riders in the army were assembled under Ondor's command to form a cavalry unit.
They were tasked with setting up the camp before the infantry arrived at the designated place. Ondor was also tasked with meeting with the leader of the kingdom's army and making them aware of their presence.
"Leader, the war has started before we could meet the leader of the kingdom's force," Ondor reported as soon as Thyra reached the camp. Mia, who was second in command of the makeshift cavalry unit, was also present behind him.
Thyra couldn't help but frown. There are a few unspoken rules that should be maintained on the battlefield. The war should be declared only after the vernal equinox, at the beginning of the spring. Also, the battle should end with the sunset.
Thyra was sure the empire was so desperate that it couldn't follow the rules. Thyra had said the same thing to Hure, and on the first day of battle, she had experienced it.
The new moon was a few days ago, and naturally, the moon wasn't bright enough. Thyra couldn't make out the battlefield from the top of the hill.
On top of that, Thyra couldn't charge into battle carelessly. The enemy had already invaded the camp, and even if they rushed in, they couldn't differentiate between friend and foe.
All Thyra could do was look at the burning tents and ensuing chaos at the friendly camping site. Thyra suddenly realised something, asking, "How strong is the enemy unit?"
"That," Ondor wasn't sure, so he quickly called for the midscouts.
"Mia, tell Selda to prepare the soldiers. We will be moving light. No shields or spears. Full armour with a sword or axe for protection. Most importantly, the slings. Tell them to prepare the heavy projectiles. And tell Rika to meet me."
As soon as Mia moved out, Thyra turned towards Ondor and said, "If they can attack at night, we don't need to hesitate any more. We will destroy the enemy camp. Timing is the key."
Soon enough, all the commanders gathered in front of Thyra. And the midscouts reported, "There are about 1500-1700 soldiers in the camp. The camp is located about three kilometres east of here."
"We will travel light," Thyra explained the plan. "The cavalry unit will charge right through the enemy camp. Do not, under any circumstances, stop to engage with them. I don't need you to fight. I want you to kill anything that comes in front of you and create enough chaos."
"As soon as you cross the entire camp, blow the whistle, and that's where the slingers will come in. How many soldiers will be available to you when you leave Rika's platoon, which will stay behind to protect the camp?"
"About 70 to 80."
"Spread them out and continue to shoot in the direction of the camp with the first whistle. Ondor will turn the cavalry around and ravage the camp again. Blow the whistle two times when you are entering. Let the shooters know they must stop shooting as soon as they hear the double whistle."
Thyra looked at the Ondor, ordering, "You must remember three things. Never enter from the same side from which you came out of the camp. Never stop the horse or come off the horse. Most importantly, don't mess up the whistle signal."
Ondor nodded, asking, "How many times should we do it?"
"The cavalry attack will continue three times while the slingers will shoot twice. As soon as the second round of shooting is done, the slingers will retreat as quickly as possible. The cavalry unit will attack a third time before they will also retreat."
"What if the enemy attacks us while we are retreating?"
"You don't need to worry about that. I will make sure they won't be able to do that," Thyra said with a smile. "Move out within ten minutes. As soon as you return, we will encircle the enemy, who are attacking the kingdom's camp, as soon as the day breaks. Our aim is to kill as many as possible."
They left with a salute, leaving Rika and Nisa with Thyra. Rika was the first to ask, "Why do we have to sit this out?"
"Your platoon is not suitable for the long-range attack. We needed to attack quickly and return quickly before the enemy could understand what was happening to them. Your soldiers are more suited for melee combat. Guard the camp for now, and you will be able to fight to your heart's content tomorrow."
Alas! None of them knew then that Rika's platoon didn't get the chance.
It took them only half an hour to reach the enemy camp. The sun had yet to rise, and the sky was still dark.
The guards in the camp had relaxed. They knew they had the upper hand. Although the victory wasn't assured, they knew they had the numerical advantage. Along with the element of surprise, they didn't even worry about anything else.
One such pair of guards was yawning when he felt the ground shaking. He looked at his partner in confusion, only to find he was equally confused.
He looked into the darkness only to find that the shaking continued to increase. As soon as he noticed the dark figure rushing towards them, he opened his mouth and…
Before sound could escape their throats, a pair of glaives came out of the darkness. The ground and sky changed their positions, and the back of the horse was the last thing they saw before their consciousness faded.
And it wasn't just them; anyone who was unlucky enough to come in front of the cavalry was either trampled to death or sliced in half.
"Enemy attack…"
Some of those lucky enough to survive cried at the top of their lungs. Soon, sounds rose from different parts of the camp. Some soldiers rushed out, some hastily started to wear their armour, but no matter where they looked, there wasn't any enemy in the camp.
*Phhheewwwwwwww*
The sharp whistle caught their attention. Some of them looked in that direction, never knowing what hit the back of their heads.
Out of all the weapons they had learned, the slingshot was the easiest to master. And when they didn't need to worry about their aim, they could easily shoot 25+ stones in a minute.
The ones who were at the receiving end of the attacks felt that it was raining stones. The screams filled the air. They died even before they could grab their shield. Some of them, who were sleeping in their tent, passed away without knowing anything.
*Phhheewwwwwwww*
*Phhheewwwwwwww*
The rain stopped. They looked everywhere. A few quick ones scrambled to grab their weapon, and the ground shook again.
*Phhheewwwwwwww*
The whistle was blown, and the mode of attack changed.
*Phhheewwwwwwww*
*Phhheewwwwwwww*
A few quick ones understood what would happen and shouted, "Cavalry."
But even if they knew about it, it wasn't enough to stop them.
*Phhheewwwwwwww*
"Sling." They cried again, raising the shield above their heads. But what came couldn't be stopped with a shield.
*Bang* *Boom* *Boom*
The dark sky brightened like day as lightning serpents descended on the camp.